2000
#11,763
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,439
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Leeman
An English occupational surname referring to a vassal, servant, or follower of a feudal lord.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,751 Americans carry the last name Leeman. That puts it at #12,365 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 124,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leeman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leeman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 124,593
Census rank
#12,365
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,399 bearers of the surname Leeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12365th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leeman
The surname Leeman has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name Leeman likely referred to someone who lived near or in such a clearing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this historical document, the name is spelled "Leaman," suggesting that the current spelling evolved over time.
In the 13th century, records show a William Leman residing in the county of Norfolk, England. This is one of the earliest known examples of the surname in its more modern spelling. Variations such as "Leamonde" and "Lemon" were also documented during this period, reflecting the fluid nature of surnames in medieval times.
The Leeman surname is also closely associated with the village of Leamington in Warwickshire, England. This place name, originally spelled "Leman-tun," further reinforces the connection between the surname and the Old English word "leah."
Notable individuals with the surname Leeman include:
1. Sir Gervase Leeman (1588-1661), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the English Civil War.
2. John Leeman (1729-1798), a British naval officer and explorer who conducted surveys of the coast of Australia.
3. Robert Leeman (1795-1875), a British architect best known for designing numerous churches and public buildings in London.
4. Alice Leeman (1858-1933), an American educator and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and access to higher education.
5. William Leeman (1923-2012), a British artist renowned for his abstract expressionist paintings and sculptures.
These examples illustrate the long-standing presence of the Leeman surname across various fields and regions, reflecting its enduring legacy as a distinctly English name that has stood the test of time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Leeman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Leeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 2,214
- Two or more races3.2% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 67
- Black or African American0.9% · 21
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leeman
Leeman appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,653
+214 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#12,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,399
-254 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 564 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,763 | 2,439 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,801 | 2,653 | 0.90 | +214 bearers (+8.8%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #12,365 | 2,399 | 0.80 | -254 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 564 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Leeman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,801 | #12,365 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,653 | 2,399 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.80 | -10.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leeman bearers went from 2,653 to 2,399 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 564 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,801 to #12,365.
FAQ
Leeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leeman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,751 living Americans carry the surname Leeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 124,593 residents.
How common is Leeman?
Leeman ranks #12,365 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,399 people with the surname Leeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leeman.
Has Leeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leeman went from 2,653 recorded bearers to 2,399. That is a decrease of 254 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,801 to #12,365.
What does the Census say about the background of Leeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Leeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (2,214 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Leeman (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Leeman mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a vassal, servant, or follower of a feudal lord. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Leeman (0.80 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Leeman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.